Gunsight mounting



33-235. CIR 395161168 SR June 23, 1970 N. K. ASIKAINEN 3,516,168

GUNSIGHT MOUNTING w Filed May 17, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN VE N TOR /V//LO AALER vo flsmm/ve/v June 1970 N. K. ASlKAlNEN GUNSIGHT MOUNTING Filed May 17, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 1970 N. K. ASIKAINEN GUNSIGHT MOUNTING Filed May 17, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 4

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United States Patent 3,516,168 GUNSIGHT MOUNTING Niilo Kalervo Asikainen, Tampere, Finland, assignor to Etablissement Salgad, Vaduz, Liechtenstein Filed May 17, 1968, Ser. No. 729,999 Claims priority, applicgtiirg 5(irmany, May 19, 1967,

Int. or. rin 1/38 US. CI. 33-50 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention Prior art gunsight mountings are often of the type which can be thrust onto a weapon. A known groove spring connection may be used on such prior art mountings. The disadvantage of such a thrust type connection is that it tends to become loose as a result of shocks received when the weapon is fired. Although known locking arrangements have already been provided with a locking part which bears on the gunsight support member on the Weapon, there is still a danger with such prior art arrangement that massive movements of the weapon caused by firing will affect the pressure exerted by the spring portion of the locking arrangement. That is, the spring becomes weakened and subsequently is ineffective in applying pressure against the support member of the weapon. The inability of maintaining such a pressure against the gunsight support member on the weapon causes the gunsight to be insufficiently secure thereby adversely affecting any immovable positioning of the gunsight mounting while on the weapon.

Summary of the invention An object of this invention is to provide a mounting which carries a telescopic sight and includes means for adjusting the sight through three spatial dimensions while securely attached to a weapon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel locking arrangement for a gunsight mounting onto a gunsight support member on a weapon.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gunsight mountin g having a locking arrangement which includes a means for providing a spring pressure on the gunsigth support member of the weapon in an amount sufficient to provide a secure, immovable positioning of the mounting on the weapon during firing.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a mounting locking member which includes a rotatable pin whose longitudinal axis runs in the attaching thrust direction of the mounting and carries a cam for engaging the gunsight support member of the weapon.

Another object of this invention is to provide a gunsight mounting locking arrangement wherein the locking movement does not run parallel to the direction of the forces acting on the weapon during firing. Consequently the said firing forces exert essentially no influence at all on the locking force of the gunsight mounting locking assembly.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a gunsight mounting which can be quickly and easily mounted or withdrawn from a weapon and in addition have the locking and unlocking of the mounting in place be easily effected. Due to this particular locking arrangement, the locking force exerted by the spring is considerably increased without incurring additional constructional cost.

The locking assembly of this invention includes a base portion and a rotatable pin mounted in the base portion. The pin is under the pressure of a torsion spring. One end of the pin is in contact with the base and the projecting end of the pin is provided with an operating handle. One end of the spring is anchored in the base portion and the other end is anchored in the pin. The longitudinal axis of the rotatable pin runs in the attaching thrust direction of the mounting. The pin includes a cam portion which operates transversely to the attaching movement of the mounting as the base portion is thrust into connection with the gunsight support member on the weapon. This particular locking arrangement prevents the movement effected by the firing of the weapon from influencing the spring pressure and thereby establishes the secure positioning of the lock so that the gunsight remains immovable.

Brief description of drawings An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a gunsight mounting produced in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 2. is a sectional view taken on the line II-II of FIG. 1,

FIGS. 3 and 4 are side and top views of the handle which is placed on the projecting end of the rotatable pin,

FIG. 5 is a sectional view along the line VV of FIG. 1 with parts removed, and

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of a pin having a cam portion made in accordance with this invention,

FIG. 7 is a detailed view of the cam portion as produced in accordance with this invention, and

FIG. 8 is a detailed view of a torsion spring as it is used in a locking assembly made in accordance with this invention.

Description of specific embodiment A gunsight mounting, generally designated 1 has a base member 3 and a casing 4 which is rotatably mounted on the base member 3 by means of an intermediate connecting member 5. The base member 3 is so constructed that it can be pushed onto a gunsight mounting holder 2 of a weapon (not shown) such as a mortar. The casing 4 includes a bushing 4:: over which the intermediate connecting member 5 is placed. The intermediate con necting member 5 is rigidly fixed to the casing 4 by the screws 10. The base member 3 includes a guide portion 3a which fits over the intermediate connecting member 5 and is in contact with the casing 4. The casing 4 is rotatable with respect to the base member 3 and held in rotating relationship therewith by means of a screw 6 having a'threaded portion in contact with the threaded portion included in the hollow bushing 4a. The base member 3 includes a worm wheel 9. A turning member 7 includes a worm 7a which engages the worm wheel 9. The turning member 7 also includes a knob 8 which is engaged with the hand of the user for rotating the turning member 7. The turning member 7 is mounted in the casing 4 so that when the member 7 is turned the casing 4 moves in rotatable relationship to the base member 3.

The casing 4 has a cylindrical portion 4b whose axis is perpendicular to the axis of the bushing 4a. A sight supporting portion 11 is rotatably mounted on the cylinder portion 412. The sight supporting portion 11 can be turned around the cylindrical portion 4b by way of a worm 12 which is operated by adjusting a knob 13. The sight supporting portion 11 includes a. conical portion 11a in which a sight connecting member 14 is set under spring pressure. The telescopic sight 15 is mounted on the conical portion 11a by way of the sight connecting member 14.

The base member 3 engages the gunsight supporting member 2 of the weapon in the following manner. The base member 3 has inclined converging side walls 16. These walls 16 engage a corresponding groove 17 included on the supporting member 2. In setting the mounting 1 in place on the weapon, the base member 3 is pushed from above the weapon into the groove 17.

The base member 3 has a cylindrical through opening 18. A rotatable pin is mounted in the base member 3 and located in the longitudinal medial plane 19 between the side walls 16. The lower end of the pin 20 engages a hole 21 in the base member 3. The rotatable locking pin 20 includes a cam portion 22 having an upper surface 22a. The supporting member 2 includes a recess 2a. Upon turning the rotatable locking pin 20, the cam surface 22 can engage the recess 2a of the supporting member 2 for the purpose of locking the base member 3 in relationship to the supporting member 2. The locking pin insert 23 fits into the groove 17 and contacts a portion 20a of the pin 20. The locking pin insert 23 is fixedly held in place in the base member 3 by way of the screws 24. A torsion spring 25 having a lower end 25a and an upper end 25b is provided on the rotatable pin 20. The lower end 25a of the spring 25 engages a hole 26 located in the base member 3. The upper end 25b which is bent over in the axial direction of the pin 20, engages a hole 27 located in the cam portion 22. The rotating locking pin 20 is constantly held in the safety position by the torsion spring 25 when the cam surface 22a is engaged with the hole 21 in the base member 3. A handle 28 is provided at the upper end 20b of the rotatable locking pin 20. The handle 28 is fixedly attached to the locking pin 20 by a pin 29 placed in a hole 30 located in the said handle 28.

The cam portion 22 is axially adjustable on the rotatable locking pin 20. The cam portion 22 is screwed onto a threaded portion 200 of the rotatable pin 20. A grub screw 22b engages the pin 20 in the longitudinal groove 20d located in the threaded portion 200 to thereby lock the cam portion 22 onto the rotating pin 20.

To attach the gunsight mounting 1 to the supporting member 2 of the weapon, the side walls 16 slide into the groove 17. The cam 22 is pivoted by means of handle 28 so that the cam portion 22 lies inside an opening 3b in the base member 3. In this way the cam portion 22 is clear of the supporting member 2. When the gunsight mounting 1 is in the lowest position along th groove 17, the handle 28 is released. Under the action of the torsion spring 25, the rotating pin 20 will thus engage a corresponding opening 2a in the supporting member 2. This action effects a secure locking between the gunsight mounting 1 and the supporting member 2 longitudinally along these parts. To release the gunsight mounting, the cam 22 is turned by means of the handle 28 against the action of the torsion spring 25. The cam portion 22 is thereby turned into the opening 3b whereupon the gunsight mounting 1 can be removed from the weapon.

While the gunsight mounting with a locking assembly has been shown and described in detail, it is obvious that this invention is not to be considered as being limited to the exact form disclosed, and that changes in detail and construction may be made therein within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. A gunsight mounting assembly for attachment to a supporting member of a weapon comprising:

(a) a base member to be juxtaposed to the supporting member,

(b) slide means connecting the base member to the supporting member in a thrust attaching direction,

(c) a locking assembly attached to the base member and having a rotatably mounted pin member with means to engage the supporting member,

(d) said locking assembly further having spring means to apply pressure to the pin member,

(e) said pin member having a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the slide means, and

- (if) said supporting member engaging means moves in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the slide means.

2. An assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said spring means is a torsion spring attached to the pin member at one end thereof and to the base member at the other end thereof.

3. An assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said supporting member includes a recess opening, and

said supporting member engaging means is a cam which is rotatable into the recess opening to effect locking of the mounting assembly to the supporting member.

4. An assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said spring means is a torsion spring attached to the pin member at one end thereof and to the base member at the other end thereof.

5. A gunsight mounting assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein:

said cam is adjustably mounted axially of the said pin member, and

includes means for setting said cam rigidly with respect to said pin member.

6. A gunsight mounting assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein:

said pin member includes an end projecting out of said base member mounting, and

has an actuating handle mounted on said projecting end.

7. A gunsight mounting assembly as defined in claim 6 further comprising:

means connecting a gunsight to said mounting assembly, and

means for adjusting the said gunsight through three spatial dimensions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,010,397 8/1935 Joyce 33-48 2,560,574 7/1951 Herter 3348 US. Cl. X.R.

SAMUEL S. MATTHEWS, Primary Examiner 

